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Antetokounmpo, Greece strong in opener; Doncic, Slovenia still have chance to qualify for Olympics

Slovenia's Luka Doncic jumps to score in front of Croatia's Dario Saric during an Olympic Qualifying Tournament at the Peace and Friendship Stadium in Athens. (AFP)
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Updated 28 July 2024
AP
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Antetokounmpo, Greece strong in opener; Doncic, Slovenia still have chance to qualify for Olympics

  • Thomas Walkup added 17 points for Greece, who led by as many as 27 and can advance to the semifinal round with a victory over Egypt
  • Slovenia can make it out of Group A and into the semifinals if they beat New Zealand by 21 points when the teams meet Thursday
Updated 28 July 2024
AP

LONDON: Giannis Antetokounmpo looked like a player intent on leading Greece to their first Olympic berth since 2008.

Antetokounmpo had 32 points in 19 minutes, going 11 of 11 from the field, as Greece rolled to a 109-82 win over the Dominican Republic on Wednesday in Group B of the Piraeus, Greece, Olympic qualifying tournament.

Thomas Walkup added 17 points for Greece, who led by as many as 27 and can advance to the semifinal round with a victory over Egypt on Thursday.

“Giannis loves to be here. He loves to represent his country,” Greece coach Vassilis Spanoulis said. “He’s very humble. He’s part of the team. For a superstar you don’t find this easy. ... He’s about winning.”

The tournament in Greece is one of four that opened Tuesday to settle the final four spots in the field for the Paris Olympics. Other tournaments are ongoing in Latvia, Puerto Rico and Spain.

Group play at all four sites continues through Thursday, with semifinal games Saturday and the title games Sunday.

An appearance in the Olympics is one of the few things Antetokounmpo has yet to accomplish in his career.

On Wednesday, he didn’t seem to be bothered at all by the strained left calf that caused him to sit out the Milwaukee Bucks’ playoff run in April. He got to the rim at will, went 9 of 13 from the free-throw line and knocked down his lone 3-point attempt.

New Zealand 90 Croatia 86

Croatia advanced in their bid to earn one of the final Olympic berths, but not with the kind of momentum it had hoped.

New Zealand beat Croatia 90-86 in Group A in Piraeus. Corey Webster had 21 points and Shea Ili added 18, including a go-ahead layup in the final minute to help New Zealand rally.

“I think it’s just a gutsy win from our team,” New Zealand captain Reuben Te Rangi said.

Ivica Zubac had 29 points and 16 rebounds, Dario Saric added 19 points and eight rebounds and Mario Hezonja had 16 points for Croatia, which was able to secure a place in the semifinals with the four-point differential. The loss, however, kept NBA star Luka Doncic and Slovenia in contention.

Slovenia can make it out of Group A and into the semifinals if they beat New Zealand by 21 points when the teams meet Thursday. If not, New Zealand will advance.

Croatia won their opener 108-92 over Slovenia on Tuesday.

“It was a tough spot playing after an emotional win over Slovenia,” Saric said of the loss Wednesday. “We were hoping we’d be on a level and push the game in our direction. But today wasn’t the case.”

Montenegro 70 Cameroon 66

In Riga, Latvia, Montenegro survived a sluggish start to keep their semifinal hopes alive with a 70-66 win over Cameroon.

Marko Simonovic had 18 points, six rebounds and went 9 of 9 from the free-throw line to lead five Montenegro players in double figures. Nikola Vucevic finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds.

Cameroon need to beat Brazil when the teams meet Thursday to advance to the semifinals out of Group B. Otherwise, the second spot would go to Montenegro.

Cameroon led 32-29 at the half. But Montenegro opened the third quarter with a 15-2 run to take a 44-34 lead and never trailed again. Montenegro connected on 7 of 9 free throws in the final period and 20 for 24 for the game.

Fabien Quentin Philibert Ateba and Jordan Bayehe each had 14 points apiece to lead Cameroon.

Bahamas 90 Poland 81

Valdez Edgecombe Jr. scored 21 points, Deandre Ayton added 18 points and nine rebounds, and the Bahamas advanced to the knockout round with their win over Poland in Valencia, Spain.

The Bahamas led by as many as 19 in the fourth quarter, knocking down 13 3-pointers and assisting on 24 of its 31 field goals for the game. Buddy Hield finished with 17 points and 10 assists to help his team finish 2-0 in Group B.

Poland and Finland play Thursday to decide who will join the Bahamas from the group in the semifinals.

Philippines 89 Latvia 80

Justin Brownlee had 26 points, nine rebounds and nine assists to help the Philippines hold off a late charge and beat Latvia 89-80 in Group A of the Latvia tournament.

Kai Sotto added 18 points and eight rebounds.

Latvia trailed by 26 points and cut what was a 21-point fourth-quarter deficit to 10 with 1:21 remaining. But the Philippines settled down and were able to close it out.

Rodions Kurucs led Latvia with 18 points.

The Philippines are in the driver’s seat to win the group and advance to the knockout stage when they play Georgia on Thursday. Latvia beat Georgia 83-55 on Tuesday.

Spain 89 Angola 81

Santiago Aldama had 24 points and Spain beat Angola 89-81 to win Group A and advance to the semifinals of the Liga, Spain, tournament.

Willy Hernangomez added 22 points and 10 rebounds. The winner of Lebanon and Angola on Thursday will join Spain in the knockout round.

Spain carried a nine-point lead into the fourth quarter and Angola never got closer than six the rest of the way.

Jilson Bango led Angola with 15 points and nine rebounds.

Lithuania 97 Ivory Coast 93

Domantas Sabonis had 22 points to help Lithuania beat Ivory Coast 97-93 and advance to the knockout round of the San Juan, Puerto Rico tournament.

Marius Grigonis added 18 points and Lukas Lekavicius finished with 13, including 3 with under a minute to play to put his team ahead for good. Sabonis also had nine rebounds to help Lithuania finish 2-0 in Group A.

Deon Thompson had 18 points to lead Ivory Coast, which needs to beat Mexico Thursday to earn a semifinal berth.

Ivory Coast took a 72-65 lead into the fourth.

Lithuania twice got within a point before Lekavicius made a floater for a 92-90 lead. Ivory Coast nudged back in front with a minute to play on a 3 by Jean Philippe Dally.

Lekavicius answered with a 3 to make it 95-93 with 41 seconds left.

Puerto Rico 90 Bahrain 56

Stephen Thompson Jr. scored 20 points and Puerto Rico powered past Bahrain 99-56 on home soil to secure a spot in the semifinal round.

George Conditt IV added 17 points and eight rebounds for Puerto Rico, which will face Italy on Thursday to determine the winner of Group B. Italy also advanced to the knockout stage, having beaten Bahrain 114-53 on Tuesday.

Puerto Rico controlled the game throughout, building a 39-19 halftime lead that grew to more than 40 early in the fourth quarter.

Zee Hamoda led Bahrain with 15 points.

Topics: Paris Olympics

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Team Abu Dhabi duo ready for powerboating battle after Wyatt claims pole in China

Updated 05 October 2024
Arab News
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Team Abu Dhabi duo ready for powerboating battle after Wyatt claims pole in China

  • Veteran Emirati Thani Al-Qemzi calls on his vast experience as typhoon looms at Grand Prix of Shanghai
Updated 05 October 2024
Arab News

SHANGHAI: Team Abu Dhabi’s Thani Al-Qemzi and Alberto Comparato are ready for a tough examination in tomorrow’s Grand Prix of Shanghai, China after Sharjah Team’s Rusty Wyatt secured pole position for Round 4 of the 2024 UIM F1H2O World Championship.

Rough waters stirred by powerful winds have plagued the championship’s return to Shanghai following a 20-year absence, and Wyatt adapted best to dominate today’s single qualifying session as he looked to extend his lead in the title race.

The Canadian rookie won by an impressive 1.25 seconds from Sweden’s defending world champion Jonas Andersson, who was followed by Victory Team’s Erik Stark as the top three in the championship standings made their mark.

Veteran Emirati driver Al-Qemzi, making his 156th race start, will be looking to call on his vast experience to climb through the field after qualifying eighth, 13 years after securing one of his 10 Grand Prix victories in China.

He was forced to return to the pontoon with technical issues after completing just two qualifying laps, but returned to the circuit later, although he was unable to improve his position.

Abu Dhabi teammate Comparato also has a lot of work to do when he starts in ninth position on the new and demanding 2,153m circuit on the Huangpu River, with typhoon conditions forecast for this weekend.

With that in mind, a last-minute decision was taken to start qualifying 30 minutes early today and reduce it from the normal three phases to a single 40-minute session.

But as conditions deteriorated following the completion of qualifying, the two scheduled sprint races, both carrying championship points, were canceled, and tomorrow’s Grand Prix was switched from the afternoon to a 9 a.m. local time start.

The race could become a test of nerve if there is no reprieve from the stormy weather that greeted the teams on their arrival in Shanghai and forced the cancelation of Friday’s first free practice session because of safety concerns.

As conditions eased later, Wyatt set the fastest time ahead of Stark in the second free practice session, with Al-Qemzi recording the third-best lap ahead of Frenchman Peter Morin and Andersson, and Comparato in ninth spot.

Few are better equipped to handle the conditions, and their effect on the race schedule, than Al-Qemzi, who has seen it all in an F1H2O career that began back in 2000, and he will be determined to get the maximum out of himself, and Team Abu Dhabi 5, tomorrow.

Topics: Powerboating UIM Formula 1 World Powerboat Championship (F1H2O)

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Jokic in ‘category of his own,’ despite Nuggets defeat to Celtics in Abu Dhabi

Updated 05 October 2024
Reem Abulleil
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Jokic in ‘category of his own,’ despite Nuggets defeat to Celtics in Abu Dhabi

  • Russell Westbrook praised the Serbian star after Boston beat Denver 107-103 in first of pre-season games at Etihad Arena
Updated 05 October 2024
Reem Abulleil

ABU DHABI: Russell Westbrook believes his new teammate Nikola Jokic “belongs in a category of his own,” the 16-year NBA veteran said in Abu Dhabi on Friday after making his first appearance for the Denver Nuggets.

Playing the first of two preseason games against the Boston Celtics in the UAE capital, the Nuggets squandered a 14-point lead en route to a 107-103 defeat to the reigning NBA champions.

Westbrook, a former MVP and nine-time All-Star, joined the Nuggets in July after spending last season with the LA Clippers, and the 35-year-old made his debut for his new team on Friday, sharing some minutes with Jokic in the first half.

“As we all know, he sits in a category of his own. He’s so unique in the sense of he’s so unselfish,” said Westbrook of the three-time MVP.

“He loves to be able to make the game easy for his teammates and he’s done that and won a championship and multiple MVPs and he’s still the same person since I’ve been around.

“Getting a chance to know a little about him and his background, I really enjoyed that and I’m grateful to be on his team and learn from him as well.”

Jokic is coming off a hectic summer during which he helped guide Serbia to a bronze medal at the Olympic Games.

In a clash that pit the last two NBA champions in front of a capacity crowd at Etihad Arena, Jokic had 14 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and a 71.4 field goal percentage in under 17 minutes of play.

“Last time, I remember, when I played for the national team, we won the championship, so maybe that’s saying something, maybe not, who knows. Most players say that summer tournaments, like the Olympics, kind of helps you stay in shape or to get better maybe,” said Jokic.

“I don’t know if that’s the case or not, but I definitely had a really good time and I think I improved playing for the national team.”

The Celtics started with Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Luke Kornet, Derrick White and Jrue Holiday, but it was their second unit that cut their deficit against the Nuggets, with guard Payton Pritchard scoring 21 points, including six 3-pointers from 12 attempts.

Boston players combined for 61 3-point attempts, which would have been a franchise record had it been an official game.

“I feel like we took a lot of 3s last year. I don’t know if we’ll take 61 most nights, but obviously we don’t have two of our interior players and it’s the first game, getting our legs under us, so sometimes repeatedly is tiring. I think we’ll get to the rim more during the season,” said Pritchard, referring to coach Joe Mazzulla emphasizing shooting from beyond the arc throughout their run to the championship.

NBA Finals MVP Brown, who addressed the Abu Dhabi crowd with some Arabic words ahead of the game, had eight points, two rebounds and two assists in 19 minutes of play, while Tatum had 12, six and five.

“We’re definitely getting back into season form, just finding that continuity again, we had some good spots, defensively made some good plays, offensively we got some good looks,” said Brown, who spent a large portion of his summer in the Arabian Peninsula.

“A lot of excitement here in Abu Dhabi as well, so I think the next game we should be better.”

The night in the UAE capital was a star-studded affair with a host of football legends in attendance, including Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry, Roberto Carlos and Alessandro Del Piero.

Jokic said he was happy to see them all in one place, adding: “Thierry Henry was my favorite player, when he was in Arsenal, I really loved him. He was really fast and I’m going to say a game-changer. He was a really good player.”

Boston and Denver will square off again in a second preseason game on Sunday, Oct. 6. The 2024-25 NBA season tips off on Oct. 22.

Topics: basketball NBA Nikola Jokic Denver Nuggets Boston Celtics

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Four key match-ups in Pakistan-England Test series

Updated 05 October 2024
AFP
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Four key match-ups in Pakistan-England Test series

  • The Stokes-Shah showdown lit up the Twenty20 World Cup final in Melbourne in November 2022, with the batter surviving Shah’s lethal spell
  • But barely a month later the rivalry was renewed in Rawalpindi stadium as Shah bowled Stokes for 41 on the day when England piled record haul
Updated 05 October 2024
AFP

MULTAN: Test encounters between Pakistan and England have often been defined by player-on-player showdowns which inject added drama into the already heated confrontation.
Ahead of their three-match series starting Monday in Multan, AFP Sports looks at four key match-ups set to entertain:
Pakistan’s pace spearhead was sidelined with a knee injury when England inflicted a 3-0 clean sweep in 2022. This time he has a chance to halt England’s juggernauts led by opener Duckett.
The left-hander smashed a brilliant century on the Test’s opening day two years ago as England amassed a first-day world record of 506-4 — blazing a trail for Pakistan’s first-ever home whitewash.
Duckett has proven capable of upsetting any bowler with his aggression straight out of the gate.
But Shaheen’s lethal yorkers and swing with a new ball regularly put brakes on the scoring rate and secure wickets up front.
Watch out as the pair tussle for control.
Two years ago, Ahmed was just 18 when he became the youngest England bowler to take a five-wicket haul on debut against Pakistan in Karachi.
Now matured, he is likely to face down Pakistan star batter Azam — one of his victims back in 2022.
Ahmed’s googly could prolong Azam’s run drought, with Pakistani looking to rediscover his touch to counter the wiley spinner.
Azam quit his white-ball captaincy this week to focus on his role at the crease.
His showdown with Ahmed will be the first test of whether he can return to form.
Root has a phenomenal record as England’s top batter — soon set to break former skipper Alistair Cook’s career record of more than 12,000 Test runs.
But in the 2022 tour, it was spinner Abrar who dismissed Root in each innings of the second Test in Multan for low scores of 8 and 21.
Nonetheless, Root holds the record for most hundreds for England with 34, achieving half of them over the past four years.
Pakistan will rely on Abrar for slow and turning wickets. A spin duel between the pair will be a clash to watch.
The Stokes-Shah showdown lit up the Twenty20 World Cup final in Melbourne in November 2022, with the batter surviving Shah’s lethal spell and hitting a fighting half-century to secure England’s triumph.
But barely a month later the rivalry was renewed in Rawalpindi stadium as Shah bowled Stokes for 41 on the day when England piled up its record haul.
Shah missed the next two Tests with a shoulder injury. But when the three-match series starts next week he will have more experience and better fitness — although the contest could be delayed as Stokes races to overcome a hamstring niggle in time for the first Test.
If he’s ready, Stokes will have to overcome a fiery Shah looking to push him to the hilt.

Topics: England cricket team visits Pakistan Pakistan v England Pakistan-England Test series

ICC Women’s T20 World Cup: Pakistan to face India in Dubai tomorrow

Updated 05 October 2024
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ICC Women’s T20 World Cup: Pakistan to face India in Dubai tomorrow

  • Pakistan, who have never made it out of the group stages, beat Sri Lanka by 31 runs in opener
  • On the other hand, India lost their opening group match to New Zealand on Friday by 58 runs
Updated 05 October 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan women’s team will face India on Sunday in their Twenty20 World Cup group stage match in Dubai, according to the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Pakistan, who have never made it out of the group stages in eight previous attempts, beat Sri Lanka by 31 runs in their World Cup opener on Thursday.
The Pakistani side is scheduled to play its second group match against India at the Dubai Cricket Stadium.
“The match will start at 3:00 p.m. Pakistan Standard Time,” the state-run Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported on Saturday.
Pakistan made 116 in their 20 overs in the opening match. They staged a determined fightback to beat Sri Lanka, with left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal claiming three wickets.
Nashra Sandhu, Omaima Sohail and player of the match Fatima Sana all took two each for Pakistan against Asia Cup champions Sri Lanka.
On the other hand, India lost their opening match to New Zealand on Friday by 58 runs.
India were never in the chase after losing openers Shafali Verma, for two, and Smriti Mandhana, for 12, inside the first five overs.

Topics: ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Pakistan v India

Bronny James begins Lakers career with a preseason debut

Updated 05 October 2024
AP
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Bronny James begins Lakers career with a preseason debut

  • Bronny James finishes with two points in the Lakers’ 124-107 loss to the Timberwolves
  • As is typical for inactive players, LeBron largely stays away from the Lakers’ huddles
Updated 05 October 2024
AP

PALM DESERT, California: Bronny James played in his first NBA preseason game Friday night, but LeBron James wasn’t in uniform with him when the Lakers hosted Minnesota in the first of Los Angeles’ two weekend games in the Coachella Valley.
Lakers coach JJ Redick elected to hold out LeBron James against the Timberwolves after three hard days of training camp, but the 39-year-old top scorer in NBA history is likely to play against Phoenix on Sunday — which just happens to be Bronny’s 20th birthday.
Bronny James finished with two points in the Lakers’ 124-107 loss to the Timberwolves, missing his first five shots before making a layup with 56.9 seconds to play. But the 6-foot-2 guard also blocked three shots, and he picked up one rebound and one assist while playing the first half of the second quarter and most of the fourth.
Before they become the first father and son to play in the same NBA game, Bronny James knows he has plenty of work to do. He got his first chance to play in Lakers gold when he took the floor to begin the second quarter at Acrisure Arena outside Palm Springs.
Playing alongside starting Lakers point guard D’Angelo Russell, Bronny got caught on a pick on his first defensive possession, allowing Rob Dillingham to hit an open 3-pointer. Bronny’s pass was then intercepted by Nickeil Alexander-Walker on the other end, but Bronny hustled back and blocked his layup attempt.
Bronny missed all three of his shots during his first six minutes of action, including a 3-pointer. He picked up an assist when he found Rui Hachimura for a 3-pointer from the corner on a fast break.
Bronny returned for the start of the fourth quarter, missing a jumper and having a layup attempt blocked. In the final minute, he got a pass from fellow rookie Dalton Knecht and looped a layup over a defender for his first points.
LeBron appeared to be keeping a mindful distance from Bronny during the game, allowing his oldest son to focus on his job. But LeBron spoke at length to Bronny during a timeout halfway through the second quarter, explaining something with hand gestures while Bronny nodded.
Bronny James was the Lakers’ second-round draft pick, and he played in summer league in Las Vegas. He is expected to play for the Lakers in the preseason before spending a significant portion of the upcoming regular season with the G League’s South Bay Lakers.
“Of course there’s nerves,” Bronny said after the Lakers’ pregame shootaround. “But I’m just excited to go out there and learn from the people playing in front of me, and if I get a chance to showcase what I can do, I’m going to do that.”
As is typical for inactive players, LeBron largely stayed away from the Lakers’ huddles. He mostly stood on the perimeter during timeouts with Anthony Davis, who also sat out the preseason opener. Both superstars have been at training camp in El Segundo.
“We felt like, given everything they had this summer, and their level of participation over the past three days, it made the most sense for them to get an off day today,” Redick said. “We told them at shootaround to just stay off their feet.”
Redick said Thursday that both LeBron James and Davis will play in at least one game this weekend. Max Christie and Jaxson Hayes started in the superstars’ place against Minnesota alongside Russell, Hachimura and Austin Reaves.
Friday’s crowd didn’t seem disappointed as it poured into the 22-month-old arena that serves at the home of the American Hockey League’s Coachella Valley Firebirds. Hundreds of fans in gold Lakers jerseys representing everyone from James to George Mikan rushed into the building and down the stairs in the lower bowl for an up-close look at the pregame warmups.
“The beautiful thing about the Lakers is that we have fans all over the world,” Redick said. “The desert over here is an extension, I think in some ways, of our fan base in LA. It’s a great opportunity for our group to play in front of these fans tonight.”
James and Davis are sitting out the first of the Lakers’ six preseason games as they ease back into competition after a busy summer. They joined the Lakers before the game in street clothes.
LeBron and Davis were both on the US team that won a gold medal at the Paris Olympics, and they walked to midcourt right before tipoff to greet Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards, their Olympic teammate.

Topics: basketball NBA Bronny James LeBron James Lakers

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